Washing machine



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,980

l L.. MAPLES .WASHING MACHINE,

i8" 7 3, m nunnnn 22' f f@ f5, y nu Feb. 271,y 1923. 1,446,980

I L. MAPLES lWASHING MACHINE Filed June'lQ, 1922v 2 sheets-sheet 2 muni* wlll/11111 Patented Feb, E?, i923.

WASG

.application flied Enne 19, i922.- Serial Ito. 569,312.

To all whom t may cormem Be it known that l, LAWRENCE Marins, a subject of the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a resident of Toledo, Lucas County, and

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to supports for the agitating mechanism of washing machines, and its principal object is to provide a support for washing machine mechanism, constructed and arranged to convert an ordinary wash tub into a washing machine. Another object is to provide a support for washing machine mechanism of this class, which shall be rugged and of substantial construction, although light in weight, and one which shall be simple and highly eflicient Jfor the purpose intended. Another object is to provide a novel, rigid support for the agitating mechanism, with extensible supporting arms, which may be adjusted to -accommodate the Support to tubs of large or small diameter within a given range. Another object is to provide novel means for supporting the dolly in operative and inoperative positions. Other obj ects and advantages will appear in the course ot this specification, and with said objects and advantagesin view this invention consists in several novel features hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: p

Fig. l. is a side elevation of washing machine mechanism embodying a 'simple form o the present invention, and showing the same applied to a wash tub, the latter being shown in vertical cross section; Fig. 2. is a plan or the machine; Fig. 3 is a detail, vertical cross section talren on line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. d. is adetail, vertical cross section taken on line d d of Fig. 2; Fig. 5. is a detail, ragmental view of the dolly and its support, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, the line ot section being indicated at line 5 5 in Fig. 2, and the dolly beng shown in its operative position clutched to the dolly shaft; Fig. d, is a detail, tragmental, vertical section oit the dolly shaft and dolly, and showing the dolly in its raised or inoperative position; Fig. 7, is a detail, horin zontal section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8, is a detail,horizontalsection, taken 55 on line 8 8 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 9, is a detail, horizontal section taken on line 9 9 of F ig. 6. Referrin to said drawings, the reference number A esignates a fragment of an ordinary wash tub, which may be constructed of 6@ metal or'wood as is well understood. Supported upon the wash tub is a washing machine mechanism, embodying one ormbf the present invention. The support for the agitating mechanism of the machine com- B5 prises a centrally located, disc like plate, 6, which is formed with arms 7 that radiate therefrom. rlhe. support may be cast, or it may be tormed of pressed metal work or of any desired material. arms 7 are preferably in the form oi' a single piece of material, having a comparatively thin horizontal web portion 8, the edges of which are curved downwardly to provide stifling flanges 9, l0, the flanges 9 being at 75 the margin of the central disc like portion, and the anges 10 being at the sides of the arms 7. The flanges of each arm run parallel with each other and serve also as guide members -for the auxiliary or extensible arms 11. @n the under sides of the arms 7, are the extensible arms 1l; they are formed of comparatively thin web portions l2, and their side edges are curved downwardly to form strengthening nanges --13, that are guided hetween the downturned nanges l0 ot' the arms 7. rllhe extensible arms 1l are secured to the arms 7 by bolts llt and wing-nuts 15,"the bolts extending through bolt holes in the extensible arms, and. through radial slots 16 so formed in the horizontal web portions 8 oi the arms 7 The nuts are threaded upon the bolts and bear against the upper faces of the web portions 8 of the arms 7. The extensible arms are adjustable lengthwise of a5 the arms 7 to accommodate the support to tubs of diii'erent diameter, and if desired said. extensible arms may be formed with additional bolt holes 17 to provide for a greater range oi1 adjustment, the bolts lll being ca- 100 pablo oi extending through the .outer or in.- ner bolt holes ot the extensible arms. Ylhe outerends of the extensible arms 11 are formed with downwardly projecting lugs l in which are threadedly mounted-thumb to@ screws i9, which may be screwed up against The plate 6 and its 7@ the outer sides of the tub upon which the support is to be attached. c

The agitatingl members of the washing machine may take various forms, and in the simple form, illustrated, the agitating. mechanism comprises a vertical dolly shaft 20, which is journalled in bearing bosses 21 formed on the central disc like plate 6, a

doll or dasher 22of conventional form carried by the lower end of the dolly' shaft 20, a beveled pinion 23 secured upon the upper end of the dolly shaft 2Q, and a beveledi gear segment 24 rotatively mounted upon a stud shaft 25, secured in a bracket 26 which is mounted upon the central disc like plate and is bolted or otherwise fastened j thereto. .The bracket 26 has a cross bar 27 formed on it, in which is formed a bearing 'aperture -for the extreme upper end of the dolly shaft 20. rllhe gear segment 24 is held on said shaft by a Cotter pin 28 and is formed with' a handle socket 29, in which is secured a handle 30, by means of lwhich the gear segment is rocked back and forth in operating the agitating mechanism.-

For the purpose of condensing the size of the machine for shipment and storage, and as tothe matter of convenience in handling the machine, the dolly or d'asher 22 is capable ofbeing supported in an operative position, as illustrated in Fig. 5, 1nV

which position the dolly is clutched to the dolly shaft and rotates therewith, and in an inoperative position, in which it is raised upon the dolly shaft and is suspended thereby, in a position Vcloser to the support 6 as is seen` in Figs. 1 and 6. The simple `means for supporting the dolly in the .two

positions comprises a sleeve 30 secured upon the d'olly shaft 20 and having la head or enlargement 31 'upon its lower end, and a plurality of ribs 32 that extend up from` said head 31. The dolly 22.has a coupling or clutch member 33, secured to its upper side by bolts 34, and' said coupling member 33 has a central aperture 35 and notches 36 through which the'sleeve 30 and webs 32 extend, thereby providing clutch mechanisml between the dolly andv dolly shaft. Projecting down from'the coupling member 33 are clutch jaws 37 that also engage with the ribs 32, and when the dolly is in its operative position said jaws 37 rests upon the enlargement 31 of the sleeve 30. Secured upon the bottom face of thedolly 22 bythe bolts 34, is a cup like member 38 which retive position, the dolly is lifted until the jaws 37 are disengaged from the webs 32, and then turned part way around, so that the clutch jaws 37 rest upon vthe webs 32, as is clearly seen in Fig. A It will beobserved from the above that a verylight weight 'support is provided, which, however, is extremely rugged, and

substantial, and is capable' of supporting the' a.gitatingmechanism in place upon an ordinary wash tub. It can be readily`adjustedV l to accommodate itself to' tubs of various tails of constructionis possible without depart-ing from the spirit of this invention; I desire, therefore, not to limit myself .to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, fin the following claims, to point out all of the invention dislclosed herein. l

ll claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An improved support for an agitating device for converting a tub into a washing machine, comprising a central disc likel frame .memberv formed with a plurality of. arms, radi-ating, therefrom, the marginal edges ofthe frame member, and side -edges of the arms being formed with downwardly turned strengthening anges continuous along said ed es, and arm extensions on the under sides o the arms, having upper faces conforming to the lower faces of the arms and guided thereby, and means for adjustably securing said arm extensions to the arms of the `frame member.

` 2. An improved support for an agitating device for converting a tub intoa washing machine, comprising a supporting frame formed with a central disc like frame 'member having'a plurality of arms radiating there-from, the marginal portions of the central disc'like member and sides of the arms having down turned continuous strengthening flanges, arm extensions on the under side of said arms and guided to ymove radially between said flanges, means for adjustably securing saidarms 'and arm extensions together, and tub engaging screws threadedly secured in the outer ends of said arm extensions.

3. An improved support for an agitating device for converting a tub into a washing machine, .comprising a central disc like member and arms radiating therefrom, the

marginal edge :of the disc like meml turned to provi e strengthening flanges continuous along said edges, and tub engaging arm extensions having down turned lianges on their side edges guided between the flanges of the arms, said arm extensions being adjustably secured to said arms.

4. In a washing machine, a support, a dolly shaft journalled therein and having a head on its lower end and a plurality of upright ribs extending up from said head, a

dolly, and a coupling member secured to said dolly and being apertured and notched to receive said shaft and ribs, said coupling member resting on said head and being capable of'being lifted above said ribs whereby it may be partially turned with respect to the dolly shaft to bring the notches out of register with the ribs whereby it may be supported thereon.

5. In a washing machine, a support, a dolly shaft journalled therein, a sleeve secured on said dollyshaft and formed with a head on its lower end and a plurality of ribs extending up from the head, a dolly, and a coupling member secured thereto and having a central apertureand notches for receiving said sleeve and its ribs, and having also downwardly extending clutch jaws adapted in one position of the dolly, yto rest upon thehead of the sleeve, and adapted,

in another position of the dolly, to rest upon said ribs.V

6. In a washing machine, a support, a

dolly shaft journalled therein, a sleeve secured to said dolly shaft and formed with a head on its lower end and a pluralityvor` ribs extending up from the head, a dolly, a coupling member secured thereto and having a central 4apertureI and notches for receiving said sleeve and its ribs and having J also downwardly extending clutch jaws adapted, in one position of the dolly., to rest upon the head of the sleeve, and adapted, in another position of the dolly, to rest upon said ribs,v and a cup like member secured to the bottom of the dolly in axial alignment with the dolly shaft and adapted to receive the lower end of the sleeve'in one position of the dolly 0n the dolly shaft.

- 7 In a washing machine the combination `of a support having a central horizontal, flat, web portion and supporting arms radiating therefrom, and clamping means for,

\clamping said support upon a tub, said central web portion andv arms` being formed on their edges with down turned strengthening flanges continuous along said edges, and agitating mechanism supportedby the said central web like 4portion.

LAWRENCE MAPLES. 

